The next stop on our New Zealand road trip was a great little city called Nelson. We had heard nothing but great things about this city and were excited to get there. We had one day this town that is a gateway for exploring the Abel Tasman National Park, Nelson Lakes National Park and much more. but we would have loved to spend a lot more time there!

With so much to explore, it was hard to know where to start. But we decided to tackle a hike a little more off the beaten path to warm up our legs for our Great Walk in Abel Tasman. Brandon found a 9K (5.6 mile) hike on Mt Roberts in the St Arnaud area. 

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We got a little bit of a late start, and as we started walking we realized almost everyone around us had more serious packs on. I got a little nervous that maybe we were on the wrong trail or or in over our heads, but they were all heading higher up for multi-day hikes. And while I was glad to get a warm up hike done, I was not glad to face an immediate series of switchbacks that took us almost all the way up to the mountain ridge.

And by the time we got to the top, the clouds were so thick we could barely see 10 feet in front of us! Luckily, the trails here are very well marked and maintained, so we were able to see and follow the orange trail markers. 

But once we came over the ridge, the clouds cleared and we were treated to these incredible views! 

We also stumbled upon a little hut you could stay in (pre-booked of course) to spend a little more time with the view.  Once we made our way home, we grabbed some food and started preparing for the next phase of our trip – 4 days/3 nights hiking in Abel Tasman!